Hidden Secrets
by Kari Kaiba
Summary: What if Tea wasn't really who she appeared to be? She's the new student at Domino High. And she has a secret past. Set before Duelist Kingdom. A bit of SetoTea.
1. The New Student

A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you for looking at my first ever story! I know it's pretty boring so far, but it'll get better, I promise! Please leave (or e- mail) me comments! They're always appreciated! Ok, on with the story. Thanks! ~Kari  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, why would I be writing fanfiction? ^_^  
  
Oh, I almost forgot the key.  
  
"blah" talking /blah/ Yugi to Yami //blah// Yami to Yugi Words in italics Usually thoughts  
  
Chapter One: The New Student  
  
Rinnnnnng! The bell rang and everyone in Domino High School ran to his or her seats. The teacher entered.  
"Good morning class," the teacher said, "Today we have a new student." A murmur of interest ran through the class.  
"Wow, a transfer student," Tristan Taylor said.  
"Yeah," Joey Wheeler agreed.  
"We seldom have new students come," Yugi Mouto said.  
"Wonder who it could be," Ryou Bakura commented in his usual British accent.  
"Please welcome Tea Gardner," the teacher said as the door opened. A slender girl entered. She had shoulder length dark brown/black hair with streaks of light brown. Her eyes were light brown; hazel, and were cold and hard when she entered. But they softened when she surveyed the room. She bowed to the class.  
"Hello, I'm Tea Gardner," she said.  
"Thank you, Ms. Gardner," the teacher said. Please have a seat beside - Seto Kaiba. Kaiba, please raise your hand." Kaiba scowled, but raised his hand. Tea walked over to him and sat down.  
"Uh, hi," she said to him. His only reply was 'humph'.  
"That's real nice, Kaiba," Joey said to his friends, "A new student, and he's colder than ever."  
"All right class," the teacher said, "Settle down, settle down." And she began the class.  
  
*****  
  
It was lunchtime and Tea was looking around for a place to sit. Yugi walked up to her.  
"Hi, would you like to sit with us?" he said, motioning to the table where Tristan, Joey, Ryou, and Kaiba already sat.  
"Um, if it's all right with you," she replied. Yugi lead her to the table. Kaiba was just sitting there reading his ever so interesting book. Tristan and Joey were arguing about something and Ryou was listening to them bicker. Yugi and Tea took a seat.  
"You might have forgotten who we are," Yugi said, "I'm Yugi, that's Tristan, Joey, Ryou, and Kaiba." Tea nodded.  
"So, Tea," Ryou said, "Tell us a bit more about yourself." Tristan and Joey stopped talking to listen.  
"Well, I'm 16, I'm staying at the G apartment-"  
"The apartments by Kaiba Corp?" Tristan asked. Tea nodded.  
/Yami?/ Yugi said.  
//Yes.// he replied.  
/Do you get the feeling that something's strange about her?/  
//.I don't know. A bit strange, maybe, but, give her some time. She's new here, be nice to her and maybe she'll open up a bit more.//  
"Yugi," Joey said, waving his hand in front of his face, "Yugi, you in there?"  
"Oh! Yeah, sorry," Yugi said, " Sorry, I just kind of spaced out."  
"Yugi, I've been meaning to ask you," Tea said, "What's with that pendant thing on the chain? You too, Ryou. They both have the millennium eye on them, or something."  
They were shocked that she knew about the millennium eye.  
"They're, uh, um," Yugi stuttered nervously. No one besides his friends, Ryou, Joey, Tristan, and Kaiba knew about the millennium items.  
"Good luck charms," Ryou said quickly. Yugi nodded. Tea looked at them suspiciously, but let it slip. They continued eating. Joey finished his lunch first and was eyeing Tea's hungrily. He knew better than to ask Yugi, Ryou, Tristan, or Kaiba for some. Tea seemed to notice, but chose to ignore it.  
"Could I have some food, Tea?" Joey finally asked. Tea looked at him strangely, and gave him a little. He ate that up quickly. "A little more?" he begged. Tea shook her head. "Please?"  
"No," she said.  
"Please?"  
"No."  
"Please?"  
"No!"  
"Please?"  
"NO!" Joey was quiet for a minute, and then pounced for some food. "JOEY!" Tea leapt to her feet and snatched him up from the collar of his shirt. "Don't you dare do that again," She said with a half smile. And she put him down. Kaiba looked up from his book and smirked.  
"Little puppy dog's being put in his place again?" Kaiba said. Joey growled, but didn't say anything. Tea pushed the rest of her food in his direction.  
"I'm not hungry anymore," she said, as Joey gobbled it up.  
  
*****  
  
"So, found some friends already?" a cool voice said, "We shall see how long you can stay happy."  
  
A/N: Ok, so that's the first chapter. What do you think? Please R&R! And please be kind. It is my first story after all. 


	2. Talents

A/N: Hi again! Ok, some "thanks" are in order.  
  
AREZA: K, thanks!  
  
Chikin Wang: ^_^ Thanks  
  
Kathiana: Kaiba? Okay, I suppose I could do that. But it might not be the best; I have no clue how good I am at "Romance". Thanks, I like the idea.  
  
Thank you for reviewing my story! I'm hoping that more will, once I accumulate more chapters. I forgot to say before, this story is set before Duelist Kingdom. Also Tea is not the cheerful 'cheerleader' for this story's purposes, even though I have no problem with her usual personality. Some other characters may seem a bit different, but I sort of tried to stay with their set personalities. Oh, and this story is rated just to be safe, because I'm kind of not sure where it's going to go in the future.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Chapter Two: Talents  
  
The school day had ended, and Tea was walking around the town. She arrived in front of a game shop and decided to go inside. She was surprised to see Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Ryou, and Kaiba all there.  
"Hi, Tea," Yugi said, noticing her. She nodded to him and the gang. "My grandpa is the owner of this shop," he said, "Grandpa! Could you come here a moment?" Footsteps were heard and an old man of Yugi's height appeared.  
"Oh, hello!" Grandpa said. Tea bowed to him.  
"Hello," she replied.  
"Grandpa, this is Tea," Yugi said, "She's the new transfer student we have." Grandpa nodded.  
"Well, I must get back to unpacking the new Duel Monsters cards. We just got a new shipment in today." Grandpa said as he left.  
"So you guys like Duel Monsters?" Tea asked them. They all nodded, except for Kaiba who just leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, scowling. "Anyone want to dual me?" she asked them. Joey leapt at the chance to dual.  
"I need practice," he said, "I need to win for once, too." Tea frowned at this.  
"No one said I was bad," she said, "I think I'm actually quite good." They walked over to a table and pulled out their decks from their pockets.  
  
"Let's duel!" they said.  
  
*****  
  
"Looks like I won, Joey," Tea said an hour later.  
"Ugh. I have such a losing streak," he said sadly, "So many to Yugi, Kaiba, and now you!"  
"Well, no one said I was bad. I think I'm actually quite good!" Tea said, "So, if you ever want another duel it'll be fine with-". Tea suddenly stopped talking. She felt a spasm of pain wash over her.  
"Tea?" Yugi asked, "Are you ok?" She got up from her seat.  
"Do you guys have a bathroom?" she gasped out. Yugi pointed it out for her. She ran to it and closed the door. Yugi and the guys looked at the door worriedly. Inside the bathroom, she had collapsed onto the tile floor. The pain washed over her body again.  
"You can't hide from me," a phantom voice said. The pain increased, and she felt like she needed to scream, and then it stopped. As suddenly as it came, it went away. She went back out.  
"Sorry bout that guys," she said.  
"Are you ok, Tea?" Kaiba asked. Tea looked surprised that he cared, but nodded.  
"So what else are you good at Tea?" Ryou asked her, changing the subject.  
"Well, I think I'm pretty good at fighting," she said. Kaiba scoffed. She turned to him. "And do you have a problem with that?" she said defiantly.  
"You don't look like you can fight," he said. "Scrawny little thing," he muttered under his breath. Tea seemed to have heard, or gotten the idea of what he said, because she was fuming angrily.  
"Want to take me on?" she asked him.  
"Wouldn't want to snap your back or anything," Kaiba said haughtily.  
  
"Come on," Tea said, "You and me. Outside. Now." But Kaiba just shook his head no.  
"I will, if you really want to," Tristan said.  
"Really?" Tea said, "Ok. Want to go outside onto the grass?" He nodded and the gang left and went onto the yard. Tristan and Tea bowed to each other. Tristan was known for his ability to fight well, next to Kaiba. As soon as Tristan bent back up, he leapt forward. His arm lashed forward, which Tea caught in her hand. She threw him back onto the grass. Her foot went to his throat.  
"I yield!" Tristan said quickly. She removed her foot and nodded. "Wow, where'd you learn how to fight like that?" he asked.  
"I learned," she said simply, "Had to, anyway."  
"Hey, you guys want to stay for dinner?" Yugi asked them. Tristan, Joey, and Ryou nodded.  
"If that's ok with you," Ryou politely said. Kaiba shook his head.  
"Mokuba's at home," he said.  
"Um, no thanks," Tea said, "And I'd better get going."  
"Me too," Kaiba said, "My mansion's near the apartments. Would you like me to walk with you?" Tea was stunned by his offer. She blushed lightly, but pushed it aside.  
"If it's alright with you," she said. They walked out together, leaving the others gaping at their backs.  
"I think Kaiba likes Tea," Joey said, smirking.  
  
*****  
  
Kaiba had left Tea at the apartments.  
"Thanks, Kaiba," Tea said. Kaiba nodded.  
"See you tomorrow," Kaiba replied. He left toward his mansion. Tea stepped into the apartment and locked the door behind her. She grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and ate it. She went back outside for a walk. She had not walked for a block when a pair of hands grabbed her.  
"Well, what's a pretty thing like you doing out on a night like this?" the voice said. She quickly wrenched herself out of his grip and punched. Her fist collided with the side of his face. She lashed out with her foot and kicked the guy's chin. He yelped in pain and ran off.  
"This isn't over just yet!" he screamed behind him. Tea sighed and decided to head back to her apartment.  
When she got back, she headed to the bedroom. There another spasm of pain hit her. It steadily increased until she felt like all her bones were on fire.  
"I do know where you are," the same voice that she had heard earlier in the day said.  
"Really? And who are you anyway?" she gasped between the pain. She thought she already had a pretty good idea who it was though.  
"I think you know," the voice said, "I'm watching you. And I'll be back."  
  
A/N: K, I know things may be just thrown out and stuff, but things should come together in the end. Hmmm, do you think the chapters are too long? Too short? Ok, please review! Thanks! ~Kari 


	3. Questions

A/N: Hello everyone, let me start again with some thanks.  
  
seguha: Thanks! I like Tea's attitude better this way too. But the way they have it is all right too I suppose.  
  
WingedWanderess: Well, yes, I suppose you are right in a sense. I could write better, and I will try in the future. Thanks for the advice, hope you'll like the rest of my story!  
  
Thanks for those who read my story so far, and more thanks to those who reviewed too! I suppose I shouldn't hope for more reviews though. Oh well, maybe I'll improve along the way.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here writing FANfiction!  
  
Chapter Three: Questions  
  
The next day Tea arrived in school early. Yugi and Ryou also arrived early. Tea decided to ask them about their 'good luck charms' again.  
"You guys," she began, "Those items are more then just 'good luck charms' aren't they?" Yugi quickly consulted Yami for help.  
/What do you think, Yami?/ Yugi asked.  
//I don't really know. It seems that she knows a bit about the items. Ask her what she knows about them.// Yami replied.  
"Tea," Yugi asked her, "What do you think you know about these?" He pointed to his and Ryou's items.  
"There were the shadow games," she said slowly, "And there are seven millennium items. A young and brave pharaoh put an end to the shadow games because they began to get out of hand. He sealed the power into the seven items. It is said that the person to yield all seven will be able to control the world. That looks like the millennium puzzle, and that looks like the millennium ring. The puzzle was said to have the young pharaoh's soul sealed away in it, and in the ring, there is the soul of a tomb robber. That's all I really know about it. Although I do know there is a millennium eye, but I don't really know anything about it."  
Yami and Bakura appeared in front of Tea.  
"How do you know all that?" Yami asked her. Tea hesitated, thinking for an answer.  
"Answer!" Bakura said angrily and impatiently.  
"Well, I read about it somewhere a long time ago," Tea said.  
"Where?" Yami asked.  
"In my father's library," she said. More students suddenly entered, and Yami and Bakura both disappeared back into the items.  
/I told you something was a bit strange about her!/ Yugi said.  
//Well.// Yami replied.  
"Yugi Mouto!" the teacher called. Yugi jerked out of his distracted state.  
"What?" he said suddenly.  
"Now that Mr. Mouto has decided to join us." the teacher said. The teacher continued on.  
  
*****  
  
It was lunchtime, and Yugi, Ryou, Kaiba, Joey, Tristan, and Tea were eating lunch outdoors, and they were also outside so Yugi and Ryou could ask Tea how she knew about the items. Yugi and Ryou became their Yami's. The minute the tomb robber appeared, he grabbed Tea and pinned her against a tree.  
"No one but the owners of the items and their close friends are suppose to know that there are such things as the millennium items," Bakura hissed angrily, "Tell me, how do you know?" Tea twisted around expertly and broke out of his strong grip.  
"I went into my father's library, and into a book in which I was not suppose to read. I did it at night, because I was curious. He had always told me that I was never to go into that book, and that if he found out that I had, I would be punished. Of course, he never found out, but I think he did know that I went into it, but he never said anything about it," Tea said. Yami crossed his hands over his chest.  
"Who exactly is your father, and where does he live?" Yami asked.  
"We lived in California," Tea said. She didn't exactly answer his question. Luckily, the bell rang, so they had to go back inside for their afternoon classes. Tea hurried back inside.  
If only I could tell them, she thought sadly.  
  
*****  
  
"Do you guys want to come over today? We could do our homework together," Yugi asked Joey, Tristan, Ryou, Kaiba, and Tea. They all nodded. "Ok. You guys want to go back to your homes first and let your parents know?" They all nodded except for Tea and Kaiba.  
"You guys already know that all I have is Mokuba," Kaiba said. They nodded, except for Tea.  
"What about you, Tea?" Ryou asked her.  
"Me?" she said, "I'm on my own."  
"On your own?" Joey repeated, "Where's your parents at then?" Tristan jabbed him in the ribs for asking such a question.  
"Well, guess we can meet at your house at 2?" Ryou said. Yugi nodded.  
"Kaiba, Tea, if you guys want to come over now you can," Yugi said. They shook their heads.  
"I think I'll just go home first." Tea said, sliding away. Kaiba silently followed.  
"See you guys later," Yugi said.  
  
*****  
  
Tea arrived back at the apartment after bidding Kaiba goodbye. She went into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. She sighed, thinking about her past.  
She crept through the long hallways silently. She past her father's bedroom, and a floorboard squeaked. She froze, listening if her father woke up. Something stirred inside the bedroom, and she dashed to the exit of the large home. She ducked outside; she was free from her home! She wondered where she should go now, and remembered reading something in one of her father's journals about Domino City. She decided that was where she would go.  
Tea glanced up at a clock and decided that she would head out. When she got out, she noticed that Kaiba was walking down the street.  
"Kaiba!" Tea called, "Wait up!" Kaiba stopped and turned around. Tea ran toward him. It didn't take long, because she was a good runner. "Hi!" Tea said happily. He nodded and gave her a small smile. They walked the rest of the way in silence. Tea opened the door to the game shop.  
"Hello?" Tea called. No one answered, but they heard noises from upstairs. "Hey, Kaiba, I think they're-" She was cut off, because another spasm of pain washed over her. Kaiba noted that she glowed gold for a moment, and a golden eye flashed across her forehead. She gasped as the pain increased.  
"You can't hide among your little 'friends'," the mysterious voice said. Kaiba and Tea both heard it. The pain in her reached such a high level that she screamed, and collapsed. She would have hit the floor, but Kaiba caught her in his arms. Her scream had got they guys upstairs to come down.  
"Kaiba!" Yugi said, "What's wrong?" He saw that Tea was in his arms, exhausted.  
"I'll explain later," he said shortly. He carried her upstairs and set her onto the bed.  
"I'm fine," Tea said.  
"No, you're not," Yugi said. Her eyes flashed dangerously and she sent him a fourth degree of her death glare. The boys looked at her worriedly and backed away. "Ok," Yugi said uneasily, "If you say so."  
"You know what, I don't think I really want to stay today." Tea said, "Thanks though. Maybe some other day, ok? I'll be going now." She left the room before anyone could say anything else. The boys heard a door open and close. Then they all turned to Kaiba and began to all speak at once.  
"Kaiba, what happened?"  
"Kaiba why was she so tired?"  
"There's something you're not telling us, Kaiba."  
"Did you do something to her?"  
"SILENCE!" Kaiba finally yelled, "Now, I don't really know what happened, but I'll tell you what I saw and heard."  
  
A/N: Okee, another chapter. Please review! I love it when people leave a review or e-mail me! Any ideas on what I could do to improve this? Thank you! ~Kari 


	4. Duelist Kingdom

A/N: Hi everyone, sorry for taking so long to update this, for those who actually care about this story. Yeah, I was really busy with work and everything, then I went on vacation. Sorry, anyway.  
  
Lynderia: Thanks! I really appreciate your kind review!  
  
Chikin Wang: K, I'll try to make the chapters longer. It sort of depends on the amount of time I have to write though. Um, yeah, sorry about that, just trying to develop a plot. I'm not doing a very good job though, am I? Well, as for Kaiba/Tea I was thinking of that, but I could change it later on. I thought that the readers could vote on which pairings they'd like in this story. Anyway, thanks for your review, it's greatly appreciated!  
  
CrissyKitty: Ok, thanks. Yami/Tea? Okay, I'll keep that in mind. You can vote for what pairing you'd like later though. Glad you think Kaiba/Tea's okay!  
  
seguha: Oh, ok, thanks! I don't exactly know that much about Yu-Gi-Oh, so your information is very helpful! Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.  
  
Ketsuban Reloaded: Yes, I know, thank you. My apologies for not saying this earlier, but for the purposes of this story, Tea will not totally know about the items, as in my story she does not know Yugi and everyone until she moved to Domino. Thank you for your information though.  
  
Aviastar: Thanks! Yeah, well, the identity of the voice won't be reviled too soon, but I make it a bit obvious later on, so you can probably guess it easily. Well, it wasn't exactly supposed to be a cliffhanger. Do you think I should have cliffhangers?  
  
Ummm, yeah, well, for this chapter, it may be a bit confusing. I realize that Pegasus took Mokuba and Yugi's Grandfather's soul or whatever, but I don't exactly know the details or anything, so I just sorta made it up. Hope it's not too bad or off on what really happened! Also, I need to decide whom to pair Tea up with. Right now I have her with Kaiba, but that can easily change. Yami, Yugi, Ryou, Bakura, whomever. Or just keep Kaiba. Dunno, up to you guys. Oh, just not with Marik, because this is set before Duelist Kingdom. Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Chapter Four: Duelist Kingdom  
  
Tea shut the door behind her as she went out of the game shop. Tears threatened to fall down her face.  
No, she thought, I can't cry. Crying is for the weak. But what if he really does come after me? What was it that I read again? Oh, yes, "Y. M. will be my key. The CEO will ensure me with new abilities. Together they and others will help me." I wonder what he meant by that? If he does come after me, he would take away the so little that I have.  
Without realizing it, she found herself in front of Kaiba's mansion. She sighed and walked to her apartment.  
  
*****  
  
"So what do you guys think that means?" Kaiba asked them, finishing telling then what had happened.  
"I don't know. Do you think you've heard the voice from somewhere before?" Yugi asked. Kaiba shook his head. "Didn't think so."  
"Whatever. I think I'm going to go back home," Kaiba said, slinking away.  
  
*****  
  
The next day was a Saturday. Tea was happy, she wouldn't have to go to school and face her friends. She wondered what they wanted to say to her. Nothing but questions that she could truthfully answer, probably.  
Meanwhile at Kaiba and Yugi's house, they were getting their mail. They both had packages with tapes inside them.  
"Hello. It's good to meet you. I'm Maximillion Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters. I need you for something, and you have been invited to the tournament that I am holding at my home, Duelist Kingdom," Pegasus said.  
"And why should we attend?" Kaiba muttered.  
"And why should we go?" Yugi asked from across the city. They both felt a bit stupid, talking to the television, but to their surprise, Pegasus replied.  
"Well, I believe that I will take something you dearly love," he replied. There was a flash of gold in the screen and he held up a card with Mokuba on Kaiba's screen, and a card with Yugi's Grandpa on Yugi's screen. They gasped and looked for them.  
"There's no point in looking, I took their souls," Pegasus said, "Their body is just like a shell. So now you will participate in my tournament, will you not?" He didn't wait for an answer, "You'll be getting the invitation soon. And you're allowed to bring your friends. See you later."  
  
*****  
  
Perfect, Pegasus thought to himself, The trap is set, and they will come to me with their 'friends'.  
  
*****  
  
Kaiba and Yugi found that Mokuba and Grandpa's bodies were gone, and assumed that Pegasus somehow had them. They were frantic, and Yugi called everyone to go to the game shop. Kaiba was the last to arrive of Joey, Tristan, and Ryou, but he burst in saying the same thing Yugi was telling the others. Yugi was crying, and Joey was trying to comfort him.  
"So you got the tape from Pegasus, too?" Yugi finally said. Kaiba nodded.  
"He has Mokuba," he said, "Hey, did you call Tea?" He looked around the room. Yugi nodded.  
"She should be here-" he began, but was cut off when Tea entered.  
"Sorry, I was kind of held up." she began, "Yugi, Kaiba, what's wrong?" She looked at Yugi and his tear streaked face, and at Kaiba, his face etched in grief. They both began to explain to her what had happened, and she gasped.  
"Pegasus?" she said, "Maximillion Pegasus?" They looked at her in surprise.  
"Yeah, you know him?" Yugi said. A strange look crossed Tea's face.  
"N-no," she stammered, "I just-heard of him from someplace, that's all." The boys gave her strange looks, but didn't say anything.  
"You don't think he'd hurt them, do you?" Ryou said worriedly. The sadness on Kaiba and Yugi's faces increased.  
"No, I sure that Pegasus wouldn't do anything to hurt them," Tea said, "Anyway, how can you hurt souls that are in cards?"  
"You sound really confidant, Tea," Joey said suspiciously.  
"Just a hunch," she shrugged.  
If only they knew. she thought.  
"Well, call me over tomorrow when you get the letter, ok? I have to get going now. Bye," she said, leaving through the door.  
  
*****  
  
The next day she felt the pain again, and heard that same eerie voice. Tea knew who it was, but didn't say anything. Afterward, Kaiba called her again.  
"Hi, Tea," Kaiba said, "We're getting together again today at the Game Shop. Can you make it?"  
"Uh, yes, I can," she said, "So you received the invitation today?"  
"Yeah, we did," Kaiba said, "So you'll be here later?"  
"Yes, so see you later," she replied. She walked out of the apartment to the Game Shop. The others were already there.  
"Well?" she asked, "Let me see the invitation." Kaiba handed her his copy of the invitation. She glanced it over.  
You have been chosen to participate in my duelist competition. The winner will receive 2 million in cash, and be granted the title of Master Duelist. Please be ready by November 17 and be on the boat dock at 5 AM to arrive at Duelist Kingdom.  
"Duelist Kingdom?" Tea said aloud, "Where's that at?"  
"It's an island off the cost of here, or something," Ryou said.  
"So, only Kaiba and Yugi got invitations?" Tristan said.  
"Nope, I got one too!" Joey said triumphantly.  
They all looked at him in surprise.  
"You did?" Tea said, "Really?"  
Joey nodded and pulled out his invitation.  
"But it doesn't say that I can bring anyone with me," Joey said, "Only Yugi and Kaiba's does."  
They all compared the three invitations. And sure enough, at the bottom of Yugi and Kaiba's, there was a small cut-off section.  
You are permitted to bring one friend, and ONE friend ONLY. Please show this to the guards and they will let you pass.  
They all looked at one another.  
"Well." Tristan said, "Who gets to stay here?"  
"I will," Tea quickly volunteered, "I don't really want to go b-, I mean go there." She quickly corrected herself before giving anything away.  
  
"Um, ok," Yugi said, "If you really say so." Tea nodded.  
"Well, you guys better get packing!" Tea said brightly, "You're leaving tomorrow, right?"  
"Oh, yeah!" Joey said, "And I got to go shopping for lots of food!"  
They all sweat dropped at that.  
  
*****  
  
Tea and Kaiba walked back together.  
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Kaiba asked her. She nodded.  
"Hey, don't worry. I'll be seeing you guys soon again," she said. Kaiba sighed.  
"If you say so." he said, "Well, bye."  
Tea nodded at him and walked inside the apartment. Almost instantly after she closed the door behind her, pain washed over her body again.  
"You will come to Duelist Kingdom," the voice said.  
"Why should I?" Tea snapped angrily, "I'm out, you can't make me."  
"You know why. You read it. So you'd better." White-hot pain flashed again, then her body was washed over with coldness, and it was gone.  
Curse you! Tea thought.  
"Watch it," the voice said, "I'm warning you."  
  
A/N: K, well, after this chapter, I'm thinking that the identity of the voice is just slightly obvious. Well, I'd like to know what you guys think! Thanks! ~Kari 


	5. Departure and Arrival

A/N: Hey again to everyone. First of all, I've changed the format of this story so it is hopefully easier on the eyes to read (much thanks to a friend whose idea that was). Okay, from here, I really have no clue what goes on in Yu-Gi-Oh, so please bear with me as I make some stuff up and browse through some sights to find information on this show. My apologies. Also, if anyone has some ideas for this story, please tell me! They are greatly appreciated. Thanks.  
  
Aviastar: My apologies for the confusion, and I am glad that you take the time to read and review my story on a show that you do not watch. Of course, you are not alone. Thanks anyhow!  
  
Mystical Miyuki: You think so? Thank you, that really supports me! I love words of encouragement, thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter too!  
  
Hikari Kitten: Really? Thanks! That makes me feel so special. Okay, I'll just say that, wow, you're good. This chapter should also answer your question too! I hope you find this chapter interesting!  
  
Now, again I ask readers to vote for the pairing. It still currently stands as Tea/Kaiba. Oh, and do you think I'm updating my stories too slowly and that they're too short? Thanks.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Chapter Five: Departure and Arrival  
  
The next day, Tea went with her friend to the dock to say goodbye.  
  
"Well, see you guys!" Tea said.  
  
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Ryou asked her. She nodded and smiled.  
  
"You better get going," she said. She watched as they boarded the ship, but Kaiba stayed back.  
  
"Tea, just in case." he said, handing her a slip of paper, "Take care of yourself, ok?" He kissed her on the cheek, and left quickly, embarrassed. She glanced at it, and on it, it had written -  
  
I, Seto Kaiba, head of Kaiba Corp, give Tea Gardener the ability to go around Kaiba Corp as she wishes, and use whatever she would like.  
  
And at the bottom was his signed name. She smiled and wondered exactly why he had given her this permission. The boat began to move. She ran to the edge of the dock and waved franticly to her friends, hoping they could see her. When she could no longer see them, she left for a food store. She found a McDonald's and went to the bathrooms to wash up. There the pain washed over her again. Luckily no one else was in the bathroom.  
  
"I told you," the voice said, "You will come to Duelist Kingdom."  
  
"'Duelist Kingdom,'" Tea repeated, "What a stupid name. I would have thought you would have at least thought of a more creative name." She made fun of the name, using a string of curses in her mind. The pain increased, as if he had heard her thoughts.  
  
"You'd better come," the voice snarled.  
  
"Oh?" Tea managed to gasp out, "And how, may I ask you?"  
  
"With the paper that's in your pocket," the voice said easily. Her hand went to her pocket, and she remembered that she had put Kaiba's permission thing in it.  
  
"Kaiba?" she whispered. That's right! He does have all those fancy planes and helicopters and blimps and stuff, she thought to herself.  
  
"Very good," the voice said, "I thought you would have noticed that earlier, him being your boyfriend. And don't think about not coming. Remember what you read. It'll be your fault." The voice faded away, leaving Tea to think over what he had said.  
  
What did I read that would mean something? Tea thought to herself. Then a wave of understanding washed over her. That's right! "Y.M. will be my key. The CEO will ensure me with new abilities. Together they and others will help me." Oh no! Y.M. is Yugi Mouto, and the CEO is Kaiba! The tournament's a trap for them! And for other duelists! I've got to warn them!  
  
Then forgetting about lunch, she raced back to her home. She wondered how her friends were doing on their boat trip. Must be pretty fancy, Tea suddenly thought longingly.  
  
*****  
  
Kaiba, Tristan, Joey, Ryou, and Yugi were at the dining hall on the boat. Kaiba, Tristan, and Joey were all off, trading cards or practice- dueling others. However, Yugi and Ryou were sitting at a more private table, and changed to their Yami forms.  
  
"I do not like going to this tournament," Bakura said, "It seems a bit - unsafe."  
  
"Aww, getting nice and caring toward everyone?" Yami replied.  
  
"Humph," Bakura said angrily, "You know perfectly well why I say it seems unsafe. Ever since Tea arrived, I, no, we've been sensing strange things." Bakura paused, waiting for Yami's reaction.  
  
"Well, perhaps you are right. It seems that she is hiding something from us, but what?" Yami replied, "I'm sure we all have noticed her strange reactions at times and those sudden pain things that she gets from time to time. It's also strange that she knows about the millennium items. It seems that she knows Pegasus, too. We've asked Kaiba before about her, as it seems that they like each other a lot, but he says that she's never told him anything about his past or family or whatever." Bakura nodded.  
  
"Well, we'd better go get some rest," Bakura said. He changed back suddenly to Ryou. They all left the dining hall and went to their rooms. They were going to arrive at Duelist Kingdom early the next morning, and the duels would start.  
  
*****  
  
"We are now approaching Duelist Kingdom. Duelists please have your invitations ready to present to the guards outside and please wait for further directions. If the duelists would all please be ready to be off board in 10 minutes. Thank you," a voice said over the speaker early the next day. Everyone was up and ready quickly, and lined up with the other duelists to get off board. They got off, and followed everyone else in front of Pegasus' mansion.  
  
"Wow," Joey breathed, awed.  
  
"Looks like a castle," Ryou said.  
  
"I'd love to live in there," Tristan said, a dreamy look on his face.  
  
"It must be even better on the inside!" Yugi said. Even Kaiba looked slightly impressed.  
  
"Not bad," he said with a shrug.  
  
"It's even larger than your house Kaiba!" Joey said. Kaiba shrugged again and gave him his death glare.  
  
Pegasus stepped forward, atop his mansion/castle, where everyone could see and hear him.  
  
"Welcome, duelists," Pegasus said, "You have been monitored for some time now, and have been specially chosen to participate in this competition. The finalist will have the privilege of dueling me, and if he or she beats me, they will be granted the title of master duelist, earn 3 million dollars in cash, and will be granted one wish that is in my power to do so. You will find duel stadiums all over this island. Earn 10 star chips, and enter my mansion. Good luck, and the duels begin now!"  
  
This is perfect, Pegasus thought to himself, Yugi and his friends have arrived, and it's only a matter of time before someone else comes. I will have your powers! All of yours!  
  
"Come on!" Joey said, excitedly, "Let's start dueling!"  
  
*****  
  
Tea was still at her apartments, thinking. She wondered if she should leave, if her friends were really in danger. She wondered how her father felt when she ran away. What would her friends think if they found out about her family? She decided she'd wait a few more days before leaving. She mind as well call Kaiba's place and make sure that she could use one of their helicopters.  
  
After a 15-minute call with them, she made sure that she would be able to go to duelist kingdom three days from today. She decided to pack a small backpack with her, and put all the needed belongings in it.  
  
The three days came and went, and at around 7:30 at night, she went over to Kaiba's mansion. The guards were waiting for her, and she showed them her note. The approved it, and at 8:00 PM, she and three guards had boarded a personal helicopter. It was a one and a half hour flight, so they would supposedly arrive at 9:30 PM, but since Tea wanted to be with her friends, they would probably spend half an hour looking over the large island for them. All the while she was chatting with one of the guards and looking out the window.  
  
"Miss Tea?" another one of the guards interrupted her thoughts. She glanced up. "We have sighted the island. We will be searching for your friends and Master Kaiba. If you would please come forward to assist our pilot in finding them." Tea stood up and followed him to the front. They flew around the island a few times before finding several fires, but none belonged to her friends.  
  
"What's that building?" The pilot asked the guard.  
  
"It's Pegasus' mansion," Tea told him, with a touch of anger in her voice.  
  
"Ah-yes, Miss Tea," the pilot said hesitantly.  
  
"Please don't call me 'Miss', there's no need," Tea said. She was used to it though. She remembered again.  
  
It was another one of those boring dinner parties again.  
  
"Miss Tea?" one of father's guards knocked on her door.  
  
"Hold on, a moment, please," Tea replied heavily. She had to wear another one of her stupid dresses. "Come in, please." The guard entered.  
  
"You look wonderful, Miss Tea, if I may say so myself," the guard said. All of father's guards were men. And he had a lot of guards, too. "Come, Miss Tea," the guard said, "Master requests you." Tea sighed. She could never get anyone to call her just by her first name. First it had been Mistress Tea, but then she insisted that they change it. So now they called her Miss Tea, but she still disliked it. And father always requested his guards and servants to address him as 'Master'. In Tea's opinion, it was quite stupid. Her father even didn't call her 'Tea'. He'd address her by 'Daughter Tea' (sometimes adding a 'Dear' in front of it), supposedly a loving way to address her, but Tea had the feeling that he called her that just to remind her and others that she was his daughter. She swore that one day she would leave this 'home'.  
  
"As you wish, Mistress Tea," the pilot said. She winced at that, too.  
  
"Um, please don't call me that either-" Tea began.  
  
"All right, Lady Tea," the pilot said. Tea sighed. She gave up on trying to tell them to address her by her first name, and first name only. They kept searching, and finally they came upon a lone fire blazing in an open clearing by a small forest.  
  
"I believe that's them, Lady Tea," the guard said.  
  
"Yes, it is!" Tea replied excitedly.  
  
A/N: I'm hoping that I get more reviews from people who actually read this not-so-greatly-written story. Many thanks to those who do read and review my story! Thanks! ~Kari 


	6. Touching Ground

A/N: I'm so sorry that this chapter is so short, but I have this huge writer's block, and I have no clue what to write. I'll try to update this Sunday or Monday though, depending on the amount of work I have (a lot so far) and if I can get over this stupid block. Erg. Oh well. Again I'm really sorry for such a short (and slightly pointless) and bad chapter.  
  
Reveal The Freak You Are: Thanks, and I am, even though this is so short of a chapter.  
  
Chikin Wang: You really think so? Thanks! I just hope it doesn't 'deprove' or anything. Okay, but I'm sort of lost from now on, so I hope the story doesn't seem bad since it doesn't follow the actual events.  
  
WnR122 - WM: Thanks! Yep, love it! Okay, thanks! Yeah, if you think that one was short, look at this one! Sorry.  
  
CrissyKitty: Well, that's how I'm portraying this story so far. And so far the majority of the readers have wanted Seto/Tea. I hope you don't mind. I'm planning to write a story after this one though, of Yami/Tea. Okay, thanks though!  
  
Hikari Kitten: Thank you so much! That makes me feel really good about this story. I hope you're not too disappointed with this chapter. Sorry. Oh, and this chapter should clear everything up for you I hope. I think it was a bit obvious though, right?  
  
hieiandbotan4ever: Okay, thank you!  
  
princess of wind: Wow, thanks for reviewing all my chapters so far! I appreciate your advice and I shall try to keep that in mind, even though I'm horrible at writing cliffhangers. Thank you!  
  
WingedWanderess: Thanks and okay!  
  
anonymous: K, thank you! I like Tea's personality better this way too. oh well, she's not that horrible in the show.  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! That's the most amount of reviews I've ever gotten for a chapter! Thank you!!! Again, I'm really sorry about this chapter, I hope it's not too disappointing.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Chapter Six: Touching Ground  
  
Meanwhile, Kaiba, Yugi, Tristan, Joey, and Ryou had settled down to rest. But a loud continuous roar from overhead disturbed them.  
  
"What the heck is going on?" Joey said. The headlights of the helicopter shone down upon them. Joey panicked even more when he saw that it was a helicopter. "Ah! What did I do now?"  
  
Kaiba frowned. That helicopter looked strangely familiar. It's my helicopter! The helicopter was hovering a few feet from the ground. A figure jumped out lightly and began walking toward them. She was wearing a long gown like dress, and the helicopter was making a lot of wind, blowing the dress out like a fan behind her. The bright headlights illuminated her, making her look like an angel. Only after the helicopter left did the boys realize (Except for Kaiba, who had assumed it was Tea) that it was Tea.  
  
"Tea!" Tristan cried, "You gave us a scare!" She had arrived at their side.  
  
"How'd you get here?" Ryou asked. She glanced over at Kaiba.  
  
"I gave her permission," Kaiba said, answering his question.  
  
"Wow, a personal helicopter!" Joey said.  
  
"What are you doing here, Tea?" Yugi said.  
  
"I - wished to come here, so I decided that I would," Tea replied.  
  
"Don't you think you'll get in trouble for coming onto Pegasus' island without permission?" Yugi asked. Her ice-blue eyes flashed angrily.  
  
"No. I'm sure he won't mind at all," Tea said, "So tell me, how are the duels coming?" Joey, Yugi, and Kaiba showed her their dueling gloves. Joey had six out of ten star chips, Yugi had eight, and Kaiba had all ten. "Wow, good job, you guys." Tea gave Kaiba an extremely warm smile.  
  
"Well, we'd better get our rest, right?" Ryou said. They all went to their sleeping bags, and laid down to rest. They were all asleep. Except for one person.  
  
*****  
  
Ah, finally, she has arrived, Pegasus thought to himself in his mansion, It's about time, too.  
  
*****  
  
Tea walked away from the campsite. She heard him again in her head. She needed to get away from her friends, as she didn't want them to think something was wrong if they saw her, moving with pain, and muttering to someone. "Now what do you want?" she snarled, "I've done everything you asked of me, haven't I?"  
  
"Not really," the voice said, "Must I remind you why you're there and not here?" Tea flinched. "That's right. Now I really hope you do come along with your friends."  
  
"What makes you think I will?" Tea growled.  
  
"Well, you've come this far, and I'm pretty sure you won't stop Kaiba and Yugi for achieving their goal."  
  
"More like yours," Tea muttered under her breath.  
  
"Actually, yes," he said, "And make sure you don't stop them. Because if you do." He purposely didn't finish, and then pain in her body increased, then he was gone.  
  
"Curse you, Pegasus!" Tea said angrily.  
  
A/N: My apologies again for such a short chapter! Well, I hope this chapter answered some questions though. I think it was slightly obvious from the start. Oh well. Please review! Thank you! ~Kari 


	7. Conflicts

A/N: Okay, well, I hope this chapter is more satisfactory. I tried to make this one extra long for the really short previous chapter.  
  
Chikin Wang: ^_^ Oh, is that a good thing? Okay, thanks!  
  
CrissyKitty: Okay, glad that you're okay with that. I hope this chapter's good for you! Yeah, I'm pretty sure that my next story will be Tea/Yami. After all, it's only fair, right? ^_^  
  
Jujubie: Thank you! Your story's cool! I love you plot!  
  
hieiandbotan4ever: Okay, thanks.  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Oh, and I've set up an account on fictionpress, still Kari Kaiba of course. Please read and review that story too if you get the chance to. It's a really, really, REALLY historical Civil War diary sort of thing. Anyway, thanks again to everyone!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Chapter Seven: Conflicts  
  
The next morning, the boys awoke to a wonderful smell of food cooking.  
  
"Tea!" Yugi said, "You didn't have to make breakfast for us!" Tea shrugged, and turned back to her cooking.  
  
"Mmmm," Joey said, "Eggs, bacon, biscuits, what else did you make?"  
  
"Tomatoes, cheese, fruit juice, and ham," Tea retorted, and Joey fell silent. "Well, when you're ready to eat, I'm done cooking." The boys (excluding Kaiba) ran over, took a seat, and gobbled down the food. Kaiba walked over to Tea, who was looking at the boys with a look of disgust and amusement.  
  
"Come on," Kaiba said, "You made some, you should eat some." Tea shook her head. She felt slightly sick after her talk with Pegasus.  
  
*****  
  
They finished their breakfast quickly and continued on to find others to duel. They decided that Joey would be dueling for that day, for he was behind on star chips. Yugi would cheer him on, and Kaiba, Tea, Ryou, and Tristan would just chat. Joey gained three more chips by the end of the day, now having nine. They walked around to another clearing and set up camp. Tea again cooked their dinner, and Kaiba helped her. They had a pretty much silent dinner, and soon went to bed.  
  
Kaiba woke up with a start, sensing something was wrong. He glanced around, and saw that someone was missing. "Tea," he muttered. He walked away from the campsite and into the surrounding forest. He reached the end of the line of trees, and came upon a small lake. Tea was sitting there, apparently lost in her own thoughts. He was about to call out to her, but she stood up from the ground. Her back was still to him, so he supposed that she didn't see him.  
  
Tea's body flashed gold, and an indistinct image of an eye flashed upon her forehead. She walked forward to the edge of the lake and appeared to be muttering to thin air, and was trembling.  
  
With pain? Kaiba wondered to himself. Kaiba was too far away to hear what she was saying, but did hear a string of curses come out quite loudly, and her body flashed bright gold once more, and she collapsed into the lake's water.  
  
"TEA!" Kaiba cried in alarm and ran forward. He ran to the lake's edge and picked up Tea in his arms, and brought her out of the water, and put her down beside a tree. Tea was pale, and cold, so Kaiba took off his coat and put it around her. Now all he could do was wait.  
  
"Kaiba?" Tea said weakly, a few minutes later. Her eyes flickered for a moment, and she attempted to get up, but he pushed her back down.  
  
"Rest, Tea," Kaiba said gently.  
  
"But-" Tea said.  
  
"Rest," he said firmly, "I'll stay here with you." Tea smiled weakly, and leaned against him, drawing her arms around his waist. Kaiba blushed lightly, and was thankful for the cover of darkness.  
  
"Thanks, Seto," Tea muttered, and slowly fell asleep. Kaiba smiled, and rested his head on top of Tea's.  
  
The next morning, Tea awoke to find Kaiba sleeping peacefully beside her, and she remembered what happened last night. Pegasus had again came, and she had a long argument with him. She wanted to somehow prevent Kaiba, Yugi, and the rest of her friends from going into Pegasus' mansion. But of course, Pegasus had refused her to do that and had threatened that he would harm Mokuba or Yugi's grandpa. Tea sighed. She could do virtually nothing to help Kaiba or Yugi. Oh, how she hated that! She stood up angrily with a start, and stormed off further into the woods alone, forgetting about Kaiba and leaving him there.  
  
Then she felt the pain again as she walked into the woods again. She was beginning to get used to the pain, and it increased to another level. It was as though someone was digging daggers into every piece of her body. She gritted her teeth, refusing to scream.  
  
"Come on, must we argue again?" Pegasus said somewhat harshly, "Go back now, your friends will need you." Tea snarled under her breath. "I will tell them if you don't go back," he threatened. Tea cursed.  
  
"Fine! I'm going, I'm going," she said angrily. She turned on her heel and stormed out, and found herself back with Kaiba, who had woken up.  
  
"Sorry, must have overslept," Kaiba said, "Are you ok?" Tea nodded.  
  
"I'm fine," she said, "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you, so." She quickly made up an excuse.  
  
"Okay, so, want to go back to the camp?" Kaiba asked her. She nodded and they left together. Together they cooked breakfast, as the boys were still sleeping. They soon awoke however, to the sweet smell of breakfast.  
  
"Thanks, Tea, Kaiba," Yugi said, and everyone chimed in their agreements. Kaiba noted that again, Tea did not eat anything.  
  
"Well, I think Yugi and I will be able to get all ten star chips today," Joey said, "What do you guys think?"  
  
"Yeah, I think that's possible," Yugi said, "So, then let's get going!"  
  
Everyone helped clean up, and then they walked off to find some other duelists to challenge. They had to stop for lunch, which Tea and Kaiba cooked again. By that time, Yugi had nine star chips. Tea still did not eat anything, except for something to drink and some fruit. By the time night began to fall, Joey and Yugi both had all ten star chips. Now that everyone had the ten star chips they needed to enter Pegasus' castle, they decided that they would first thing the next morning. They all set up camp, and everyone chipped in to making dinner. They had quite a happy conversation that evening, as they knew that the next day they would all be going into Pegasus' castle. Yami and Bakura appeared and were talking again, away from Tea, Kaiba, Joey, and Tristan.  
  
"Something is up, Bakura," Yami said thoughtfully, staring into the campfire. Bakura snorted.  
  
"No really? Thanks for telling me, Mr.-State-The-Obvious," Bakura said with annoyance. The two sat in silence for a moment, watching the other four (three actually) talk. Tea was sitting slightly apart from the others, her gaze deep into the fire, which was reflected in her crystal blue eyes.  
  
"So, we obviously have to duel Pegasus right?" Joey was saying.  
  
"Yeah, but we're going to need to use our star chips to get inside his castle. I'm assuming Ryou and Tristan don't have to worry about anything; they've got those passes, but what about Tea?" Yugi said. The boys looked at her. She hadn't said a word after helping cook their dinner, and again didn't eat anything.  
  
"Tea?" Kaiba asked her, concerned. Tea glanced up, startled and quickly smiled at the boys.  
  
"Yes?" she asked. The boys glanced at her untouched dinner.  
  
"Are you alright?" Tristan asked her. Suddenly, Tea's eyes flashed dangerously.  
  
"I'm fine," she suddenly snapped, "And I wish you would stop asking me that okay? You guys think something is wrong, when I'm fine. And just so you know, I will be able to get into that castle so don't worry about me." She stood up and turned to walk away. "I'll be back," she said without a backward glance at the group.  
  
"And what's up with Tea lately?" Bakura added to Yami, "You sense that she's different somehow, right?"  
  
"Of course. But I am not sure how or why. I really don't know anything about that girl. Even Kaiba knows little about her, and he's the closest one to her."  
  
"Hmmm. I'll ponder that." with that, Bakura abruptly changed back to Ryou. Yami sighed. He made a mental note to tell Bakura not to change so quickly and without warning. Yami then retreated into the puzzle, and Yugi and Ryou joined the campfire conversation; now briefly of Tea's weird behavior, then to tips on dueling for the next big day. Kaiba briefly considered going after her, but decided to leave her to her own thoughts.  
  
A/N: I hope that chapter was long enough! Well, thanks, and please review! And read my other story on fictionpress if you get the chance! Thanks! ~Kari 


	8. Falling Thoughts

A/N: Hey to all again. Nothing much to say right now, so.  
  
tea/anzufan: Thank you for your kind review. I hope this chapter is decent!  
  
Candace: Thank you! I appreciate you saying that.  
  
Aviastar: Hehe, k. Hope you understand a bit better now. I'm still confused myself! Go figure, right? Yeah, people (reviewers) like being mentioned right? Just want to make sure. Thank you!  
  
Chikin Wang: K, thanks! From now on, I'm going to try to write longer chapters.  
  
hieiandbotan4ever: K, thanks for the review!  
  
Jujubie: Hehe, k, thank you! I hope you update your story soon too!  
  
Hikari Kitten: Okee, thank you!  
  
YGO FAN: Thank you for all your separate reviews for every chapter!  
  
WingedWanderss: Thanks for reviewing my story again!  
  
Well, yeah, Happy Chinese New Year to all! This chapter may seem a bit unorganized or with a bit more information thrown at the readers, but I really didn't want to mention anything until now. Okay, well, hope this chapter is good!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Only the main plot of this story belongs to me.  
  
Chapter Eight: Falling Thoughts  
  
Curse it, now what do I do? Tea thought to herself, storming through the woods. Just great, we're all going to go into the castle tomorrow, and then they'll be no hiding my secret anymore. Oh, what will they think of me when they discover that my blood is that of Pegasus'? Blood truly does bind.  
  
"Come on, talk to me dear father," Tea called out mockingly, "I know you're listening to me right now."  
  
"Cleaver," came his reply, "What is the matter that you wish to discuss with me on this splendid night?"  
  
"Do they really have to find out?" she asked desperately.  
  
"Now, don't lie to your friends. Anyway, I need them, as you read, and so don't you think of stopping me. I need to achieve what I must. So don't get in my way. You realize that they were bound to find out someday anyway. It's a bit difficult to live a lie, don't you think? Good day, and see you tomorrow, dear daughter," Pegasus ended their conversation abruptly.  
  
"Oh, goody," Tea muttered to herself, "This is just my type of day. What are they going to think of me if the find out? Maybe Pegasus will be nice to me for once and not say anything. Well, you never know. He's a very mysterious man and when he does things, it may be for future uses."  
  
With that in mind Tea continued to walk, enjoying the peacefulness of the calm air. If only she never had him as a father, her life could be perfect. She currently had friends that she cared for, even though she'd been telling them lies. But there are no ways to escape reality and the truth. She just didn't want her finally seemingly normal, worry-free life to end. She knew that Yugi and the rest would hate her because of what her father did. And what of Seto? That would be the worst blow to her. Kaiba loved his younger brother Mokuba so much; he'd loathe her for the rest of her life. Just when things started to look bright in her future too, and her father just has to ruin everything.  
  
Tea frequently wondered now exactly why Pegasus needed Yugi and Kaiba.  
  
He's changed so much since mother died, Tea thought sadly, I can still recall some times we all actually had fun together. He misses Cynthia so much- as do I. But at least I did not let grief take over me and affect me. But I'll admit that father's attitude did change everything for me. It caused me to learn to live off myself, and eventually led to me running away. I wish mother were back to make everything right again.It's been so long too. I was what, three or four when she passed on? Oh wow, it's been so long, too long since the feelings of being loved by parents left me. But now for the time I have Yugi and the rest and above all, Seto. I just pray that that all doesn't change tomorrow! Father can be so unpredictable sometimes; I think he actually just might keep his mouth shut. Well, who knows what tomorrow will bring.  
  
Tea slowly walked back to their campsite. She decided she needed to enjoy what could possible be the last day that they all were friends. But then she rethought that and decided it better to be alone. After all, she'd better get used to the solitude again. She sighed and decided that a bit of eavesdropping wouldn't do her any harm. She had the feeling that the group was talking about her anyway. So she silently walked back to the edge of the clearing where their camp was and climbed a tree with large, overhanging, leaf-covered branches. It was a very convenient place to be, and she found that she could easily hear what everyone was saying.  
  
At first, all she heard them talking about was tips on duel monsters and how to get out of really tight spaces. They also briefly discussed what combinations of magic cards would make their monsters even stronger. Their talking of duel monsters finally slowly wore off, and the topic turned to what she had been hoping for - Tea.  
  
"Do you think she's okay?" Kaiba began concernedly, "She's been gone for a while now."  
  
"I'm sure she's fine. She seems to know this place too. Anyway, she probably just needs her space. I've had experience and know that girls have very strange mood swings!" Joey said confidently.  
  
"How would you know?" Tristan snorted, "All the girls you every asked out slapped you in the face!" They all laughed at that, and Joey shot death glares at them.  
  
"Speaking of Tea," Yugi began slowly, "Does she seem, I don't know, different, to you?"  
  
"Well, her attitude has been getting strange these past few days, as we neared the castle. And now she just ran off into the woods the day before we enter it! But then again, there seems to be, I don't know, a mysterious air around her. She's always been so different around us. We barely really know her," Ryou said.  
  
"Tea's really nice though," Kaiba quickly jumped in, defending her. Tea smiled and silently thanked him for sticking up for her. "She may have many barriers around her, but she does let her defenses down though."  
  
"Yeah, and she seems to be affecting you too," Joey muttered, "Melting your cold heart, doing what only Mokuba was able to do before."  
  
"When I require your opinion, I will ask it of you, Mutt," Kaiba snapped angrily at him, "Not that anyone would ask you for your opinions." The two glared at each other, and Tristan broke the tension filled silence.  
  
"I too noticed how different Tea is," he quickly said, hoping to distract them from their mutual, ever continuous battle, "She doesn't seem.trustworthy, if you know what I mean. Well, not exactly trustworthy, just so unreadable. It seems to me that she's hiding a lot of things from us. Some things that she doesn't want us to know."  
  
"But what could be so big that she wouldn't want us to know? We've know her for a while now, doesn't she know that we're reliable and will be her friends until the end?" Ryou asked.  
  
Tea decided she heard enough, and let them debate over what they wanted to discuss. In the meantime, she decided to go for another little walk. They camped so near the castle, she thought it'd be a good idea to check it out. It's been so long anyway.  
  
She remembered all she left behind when she left. The castle, her past home, was actually a really nice place. It was just Pegasus and the lack of her mother that made it so unbearable. She did miss her privileges of roaming this island; the forests and certain areas were hers before, given to her by her father as a gift a long time ago. There were also her horse, birds, and dog that she was forced to leave. But since she was back, she concluded that she wouldn't be leaving again without them. Her horse, Aria, had been of the greatest comfort to her, as did her loyal dog, Niko. Often before she would ride Aria around the island with Niko often accompanying them. Then there were always her two parrots, Storm and Fire, whom she had always let out every day to fly freely, the representatives of what she longed to do.  
  
Tea wondered what her father did with her only friends back in that time. He really never cared what she did every day since her mother died. Tea thought that he would have probably gotten his guards to take care of them. He would have known that Tea would have been back to claim them, the only joy in her childhood. That was a really good bait to get Tea back to the castle, with the insurance of Mokuba and Yugi's grandfather in his custody. But she had long pushed out those thoughts of her animal friends, afraid to dwell on the thoughts of how they were doing and if they had forgotten her. She had always tried to never think about her past with Pegasus when she moved and met Kaiba, Yugi, and the rest of the gang.  
  
With a start, Tea realized that she had reached her destination. She knew and had even made some secret entrances and exits out from the castle. But she suspected that her father always somehow knew of them. It was disturbing though, as it always seemed like he could read her thoughts. But of course she knew that was impossible.didn't she?  
  
Tea quickly found what she was looking for, a badly shaped rock at the foot of the castle. She rolled it out of the way, moved a few bricks, and there lay stairs that wound down, down, down, to the most underground level of the castle. She was hesitant as she saw the stairs disappear, clouded with dust and debris. She knew that the stairs were really dangerous, as one side was to the wall, but the other emptied into thin air, and if one fell, they would most certainly fall the their death. But she's done this countless of times before. But it's been too long, what if something had changed since then?  
  
Tea decided that she'd come to far to turn back then, so she boldly took a step into the unknown. Only after a few steps down, she stepped and a piece of the stone stair she was stepping on shattered, and she miss- stepped and fell. She fell into the side that emptied into air. She made a mad grab for a stair, or anything to hold on to before she plummeted into the darkness. Suddenly a hand appeared and grabbed her arm. Tea gasped and looked up, and almost let go of the arm when she saw whom it was.  
  
A/N: I know, mean of me to end there, sorry! Please review! Thank you! ~Kari 


	9. Ponderings

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update this story! Please forgive me... I've been so busy and stuff... Sorry again...  
  
trefenwyd12: Thanks! Yeah, I like Tea's disposition better this way too... Oh well, too bad we can't do anything about it for the real show!  
  
wind princess 4eva: Thanks. Okay, if you want me to tell you if you're guess is right or not, you can email me! karikaiba@yahoo.com Hehe, k, well thanks. Ummm, I just like that name for a horse. And it's the first thing that popped into my mind, as I've always used it before too. Do you object? I think it's a kewl name!  
  
Jujubie: Thank you! Hmmm, I don't think 'interestinger' is a word, but it can be in our dictionary! Thank you so much! Your review made me so happy! Wow, k, thanks! Yeah, your story is really cool! It's so creative! And go Seto/Tea! Please update your story soon!  
  
Chikin Wang: Hmmm, maybe. You'll see! ^_^ Thank you!  
  
Hieiandbotan4ever: You'll find out soon too! Sorry about the delay for this chapter. I'll try to update faster next time...  
  
MarikzAngel: You do? Thank you! K, I really do have to update faster, don't I?  
  
annoymus: Thanks! Sorry about taking so long...  
  
Aviastar: K, well, you'll also find out soon enough! Yeah, thanks again for the cliffhanger thing. You did? Ah, well, thanks anyhow.  
  
CrissyKitty: That's okee! Thank you for the review anyhow! Yeah, about that new story... I think it was you that wanted this story to be Tea/Yami right? (But this is okay for you now, right?) So I've decided to write another story set in ancient Egypt, with the pairing of Tea/Yami. Does that sound good to you? I'll try to post that story up soon too.  
  
WingedWanderess: K, thanks!  
  
YGO FAN: Okee, thank you! Glad it does make some sense.  
  
Lunar Dragon 209: I'm glad you want to read more! I hope this chapter is of some interest to you!  
  
Kathiana: I do? Thanks! Maybe I should have a bit more romance in my story...  
  
--- (Josie): Thanks! Cool account name by the way.  
  
Hikari Kitten: Ok, thanks!  
  
Shy-Lil-Dreamer: Ah, okay, so you say... Well, that's for me to write out later! Okay, thanks. I'll think about that... I think I'll make a triangle for my new story that I'm writing if that suits you. Yami/Tea/Ryou. Is that good? Anything else, suggestions, comments, requests are always welcome! Thanks!  
  
Thanks to all who reviewed! Special thanks to my BFF, Arya, for her help! And yeah, I'm having a feeling that this chapter isn't that productive. Next chapter I'm really going to develop the action... I'm holding out the cliffhanger until next chapter! I know, mean of me... Sorry, I couldn't resist...  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Chapter Nine: Ponderings  
  
Back at camp, Yugi, Ryou, Joey, Tristan, and Kaiba were still discussing what exactly was wrong with Tea.  
  
"But what could be so big that she wouldn't want us to know? We've know her for a while now, doesn't she know that we're reliable and will be her friends until the end?" Ryou asked.  
  
"Obviously something," Yugi said, "And maybe she doesn't realize that we'll be her friends no matter what."  
  
"But are we sure about that?" Joey asked a bit nervously, "Can we guarantee, that no matter what happens we'd be her friend? Are there not things that we can each do to make others shun us, hate us?" They all sat in silence for a moment, thinking that over.  
  
"But what are the chances of that happening?" Tristan said, "Slim to none, so why are we worrying about that? We should think of things we could do for Tea to show her that we care, and that we wish to help her."  
  
"Easier said than done," Kaiba muttered, "And what would you propose we do?" Again they sat in silence, thinking it over.  
  
"You know what, I think it's been enough for all of us tonight," Yugi said, "I'm getting a bit tired, and we'll need to conserve our energy for tomorrow, right? After all, tomorrow's the day we'll duel Pegasus."  
  
"Oh yeah!" Joey exclaimed loudly, "I almost forgot about that! But what about Tea, she didn't come back yet."  
  
"Leave her to her space," Ryou said, "She'll most likely be back very soon. A refreshing nighttime walk would do anyone some good."  
  
They all quietly cleaned up the campfire area and spread their sleeping bags across the ground and settled in.  
  
"Kaiba, aren't you going to rest? It's getting late you know, and even you need rest," Yugi said.  
  
"I'm going to stay up a bit longer and wait for Tea," Kaiba said, settling down by the campfire.  
  
"Suit yourself, Kaiba," Joey said, "'Night everyone."  
  
Everyone else echoed their 'goodnights', and slowly fell asleep. It was getting considerably later into the night as Kaiba waited, staring into the fire. He watched the flames do their intricate dances, playing with the air as the smoke drifted into the air, as he sat thinking. He suddenly stood up, and decided he would go looking for Tea, as it was getting apparent that she wasn't about to return any time soon and he wanted to keep her company. Everyone else was asleep, and he expected to be back before dawning broke, so he just left the camp.  
  
Kaiba wondered where he should search first. He thought that she'd probably be by a lake or stream of some type, probably just thinking things over as she usually does. He thought she probably fell asleep too, so caught up in her thoughts that she had forgotten about the time. So he leisurely walked around the woods, thinking that since no one had ever been on the island before, Tea too would not know where to head. He assumed he'd stumble across her soon enough.  
  
*****  
  
Pegasus sighed in his castle, viewing what exactly was happening on his island. He had various hidden security cameras and microphones all throughout the island, stationed very carefully and systematically. He spent a bit of time watching and listening to Yugi and his friends' conversation, chuckling at what he thought to be their stupidity at Tea's strange behavior. They were so naïve at times.  
  
Then on one of the cameras he saw his daughter walking at the foot of his castle, seemingly searching for something. He watched her for a moment, searching for what he knew to be a supposedly secret entrance to their home. He glanced at a nearby picture of Cecilia, his deceased wife. He created Duel Monsters, he was the owner of Industrial Illusions, and he possessed the Millennium Eye. At the rate he was going he knew that he would be able to achieve anything he wanted, once he had a few pawns in place. A few people to help him along the way; Yugi, Kaiba, and of course Tea. He wasn't exactly sure how his own daughter was going to help him, but he had foreseen that she would assist him greatly in bring back his dream.  
  
Pegasus looked back at the video screens that monitored all that went on upon his island. He was anticipating Yugi and his friends' arrival for the next day. Then all that he needed would soon be in place. He had not too long to wait to achieve his ultimate goal; what he had been trying to do for some time. He knew that he could easily beat Yugi and Kaiba who would both blindly accept any requirements for the loser of the duel to yield to, being as they both wanted their family member's soul back.  
  
He saw that Kaiba had left his the camp, surely in search of his little girlfriend. It was such a pity that he planned to permanently ruin Tea's relationship with all of her friends soon. He knew that they would probably never forgive her for lying and hiding the fact that she was their worst enemy's daughter. He supposed he could have paid more attention to her in the past after his wife (and her mother) died. But he just became so secluded after that, but that didn't mean that he no longer cared for her. He had cameras set up all over the castle as well and knew what Tea was doing from day to day.  
  
Pegasus had even decided to keep all her beloved but troublesome pets, thinking that they would be of help to him in the future, and he knew that that would prove to be true. He had trained her dog, Niko, to become a guard and attack dog, and he had lost his once friendly disposition. The same went with her horse and birds. He managed to get them to dislike people after having his servants treat them badly, and he knew that once Tea saw the state her pets were in she would be devastated and probably do something drastic to get them out of his clutches. He wondered if they remembered her and if they would still be loyal to her. Ah, well he would find out soon enough. He then turned off the screens and left the room.  
  
*****  
  
Kaiba had given up on his stroll to find Tea. He turned around and began walking in the direction of the castle, having second suspicions that Tea may have gone there. He had no idea why she would go there, but she had been acting so differently the past few days, or basically ever since she arrived on this island. The more he thought about it, the more strange the situation seemed to him. It really did seem like Tea knew this island they were on, but how was that possible? Well, many things seemed possible with Tea, being that so little was really known about her.  
  
He finally found himself back at the camp and found the boys right where he left them, soundly sleeping and lightly snoring, with Joey's mutterings about food in his dreams. He then left the camp, knowing they wouldn't be awake any time soon. He continued to walk in the direction of the castle, thinking things over along the way; from Tea, the tournament, his company, Mokuba, Pegasus, and well, basically everything. Then he found himself at the foot of the castle and wondered what he should do. He began to walk around the perimeter of the castle, hoping to find something.  
  
A/N: I know this chapter was sort of pointless... sorry... So yeah... But next chapter I promise will reveal who had saved Tea and get into the action. Please review! Thanks! ~Kari 


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